By Montana Burack
For The New Era
While dozens of Oregon State University alumni have made their mark in the summer games, including high jumper Dick Fosbury and gymnast Jade Carey, only one known Beaver alumnus has ever been in contention for a winter title: alpine ski racer and two-time Olympic medalist Jean Saubert.
And she started in Sweet Home.
Born in Roseburg in 1942, Saubert grew up in Cascadia. She and her sister learned to ski at Hoodoo Ski Bowl from her U.S. forest ranger father. She went on to race competitively at Mount Hood and Mount Bachelor.
Saubert was competitive on the national stage throughout her teenage years, winning her first of several national junior championships at 14 and taking home two national titles soon after.
Upon graduating as valedictorian from Lakeview High in 1960, Saubert enrolled at OSU’s College of Education. While at OSU, she pursued her studies while continuing to train and compete in ski racing.
In 1962, after winning six U.S. championships, her training earned her a coveted spot on the U.S. Ski Team, where she remained for four years.
Saubert went on to win a total of eight U.S. national titles and place in several World Championships and many other races across circuits in the United States and Europe.
Era in 1963, serving as grand marshal of the Sportsman’s Holiday Parade that year.
In 1964, she competed as a favorite in the winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
The Associated Press labeled her as the “best woman of the year” ahead of the games, and commentator Jim McKay said that Saubert was the “hope of America.”
She ultimately won a silver medal in the giant slalom and a bronze medal in the slalom, two of only six medals earned that year by Team USA in Innsbruck. She was the first Oregonian to win two Olympic medals and the first OSU female to medal at the Olympics.
Following the Olympics, Saubert set her sights on teaching and returned to OSU to complete her education degree. An honors student, Saubert was awarded a full-tuition scholarship from the OSU Alumni Association for her athletic achievements.
After graduating from OSU and retiring from ski racing in 1966, Saubert joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and pursued a career in teaching. She taught elementary school in Vail, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Saubert earned a master’s degree at Brigham Young University, where she then taught physical education courses to prospective teachers for three years.
Saubert was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1976.
In 1978, she moved to Hillsboro to teach elementary school, where she remained for 22 years before her retirement in 2000. Every four years, she brought her medals to class to show her students.
A lifelong athlete, Saubert continued to stay active throughout her life. She participated in many sports leagues and endeavours, including swimming, soccer, tennis, racquetball, golf and volleyball.
She continued to ski competitively in charity races and won a national soccer championship with one of her teams.
Many of Saubert’s students, fellow competitors, colleagues, family and friends remembered her as kind and community-minded and as a fighter with a competitive spirit.
In an article, Saubert was once quoted jokingly saying, “I’m so competitive, that if I was sitting in a room stuffing envelopes, I’d have to stuff the most.”
Saubert headed south to watch the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia, and volunteered and served as a torchbearer at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before moving to Bigfork, Mont., to live with her sister and brother-in-law.
In her retirement, she spent time volunteering at local elementary schools and LDS churches.
After a long six-year fight against breast cancer, Saubert died in 2007 at age 65.
– Montana Burack is a sports writer for the Oregon State University Daily Barometer and Orange Media Network. This article is used by permission.